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Congratulations to HBJ 2023 Diversity In Business
Awards Honorees!
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Congratulations to the 2023 Houston Business Journal Diversity In Business Awards Honorees.
This year, 36 individuals and 31 organizations have been recognized for showing exceptional commitment to promoting practices that advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The list includes Shenice Brown, Chamber Board Chair and Jack Berger, Director of Programming & Events as well as Chamber Members, Corporate Partners and Strategic Partners.
Members and Partners recognized in the Outstanding Diversity Champion category were:
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Jack Berger, Director of Programming & Events, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce
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Shenice Brown, Chamber Board Member and Manager, Empower Financial
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Julie Irvin Hartman, Owner, B2G Victory
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Ethel Johnson, Shareholder, GreenbergTraurig
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Clay Melder, Commercial Relationship Manager, Healthcare & Not for Profit Banking, Amegy Bank
Members and Partners recognized in the Outstanding Diverse Organizations category were:
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The Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce has been active during this legislative session advocating for our members in Austin.
Take action using the Digital Advocacy Toolkit to send a message to your elected officials that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is Bad for Business. The action alert highlight this month is the Drag Art Bans. These bills along with other anti-LGBTQ+ bills are bad for business. Take action using the Digital Advocacy Toolkit.
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During the 88th Legislative Session, the Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce worked with State Rep. Jessica González to file HB 2182 which would add LGBTQ+ owned businesses to the State of Texas HUB Program.
Thank you to State Representative Jessica González for your leadership!
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LAMBDA NextGen Now Part of the Chamber!
Supporting LGBTQ+ Young Professionals
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Did you catch the recent announcement about LAMBDA NextGen? We are excited to relaunch the group as part of the Chamber programming and support LGBTQ+ Young Professionals across the region.
LAMBDA NextGen is Houston's first young professionals networking group, ages 21-35, focused on bringing LGBTQ+ professionals together to build a strong connection in an ever-changing community.
LAMBDA NextGen launched in 2013 as a social networking group in Houston to bring LGBTQ+ Young Professionals together to connect, mingle, and strengthen roots within the local community. The initial event grew from 35 people to over 300+ and LAMBDA NextGen leadership is working with the Chamber to reengage this impactful program and connect LGBTQ+ Young Professionals!
With LAMBDA NextGen officially becoming a program of the Chamber, this opens up even more opportunities to continue building on the important work of the former organization to continue helping LGBTQ+ Young Professionals in the greater Houston region thrive and succeed.
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2022 Volunteer of the Year | |
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Congratulations to Stephen Miranda on his recognition as the 2022 Volunteer of the Year!
Making things happen sums up Stephen Miranda! He is a leader in Houston's LGBTQ+ community and gives back in many ways including to the Chamber. Stephen was recognized as the Chamber 2022 Volunteer of the Year for his work to advocate for the Chamber both through his role at Bank of America, one of the Chamber's Corporate Partners, facilitating important community conversations, identifying grant opportunities, engaging new members and Corporate Partners, representing the Chamber in the community and much more.
He has done all of this and much more without a title or recognition because he deeply cares about the mission of the Chamber and moving the LGBTQ+ community forward in terms of economic inclusion.
Read the latest blog post here and hear more from Stephen about this recognition, his “why” and the other ways he gives back to the community.
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Chamber Office Open House a HUGE Success! | |
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Chamber Office Open House and First Friday Meet & Eat. It was a wonderful crowd, good food and a wonderful space. | |
Thank you to our host and sponsors! | |
NGLCC Conference is 5 Months Away! | | |
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Make your plan to join Chamber Leaders, Members, Corporate Partners and other attendees at the 2023 NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference August 14 – 18 in Denver, Colorado! | |
Thank You to Jonathan Marrs and Tiffany Tosh! | |
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Tiffany Tosh (she/her)
Tiffany Tosh was recognized at the Chamber Anniversary Celebration for yearlong service as the Board Chair for the Chamber. She has been involved in the Chamber since year one and is part of the Founding Leadership Council. Tiffany’s leadership has helped the Chamber grow and thrive since its launch!
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Jonathan Marrs (he/him)
Jonathan Marrs has dedicated years to the Chamber since year one. He is also a member of the Founding Leadership Council. In his role with the British Consulate Houston, Jon has been instrumental in developing our partnership with the Consulate including the UK LGBTQ+ Leaders Trade Mission last year. We are wishing Jon and his husband Kenny well on their move to Florida where Jon is taking on a new role with the British Consulate.
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Thank you to Jon and Tiffany for their leadership, dedication and
commitment to the Chamber! They have helped the Chamber grow and thrive since 2016!
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New Member LinkedIn Group | |
There is now a new Member LinkedIn Group! Members can access the group to regularly post about their member business or organization. Members can request to join the group here. | |
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The Member Facebook Group is still active! If you haven’t joined the Member Facebook Group, you can request access here.
We want to hear from our members! Use the groups to share the latest about your member business or organization.
The Chamber Team will be processing Member LinkedIn Group requests as quickly as possible. We expect a large number of requests so we appreciate your patience. As a reminder, you must be a member to access the Member Facebook or LinkedIn Groups and listed on the member account.
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FEATURED EVENT: MEMBER ORIENTATION | |
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Thursday, April 20, 2023
9:30 - 10:30 am
Harold's Restaurant, Bar & Terrace
(immediately following the 3rd Thursday Breakfast - separate registration required)
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MAXIMIZE YOUR CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP
Member Orientation is designed to help new or existing members learn how to take full advantage of Chamber membership benefits. Learn about the tools and resources available to you with your Chamber Membership.
Join us, introduce yourself and your business, meet the Chamber team and gain insightful information to maximize your membership.
Meet other members and learn about their businesses as well! The first few minutes of the Member Orientation is for introductions. This gives members an opportunity to share more about their member business.
Not a member of the Chamber? We invite prospective members to join us to learn more about membership benefits and why it's a great time to be part of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber.
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2023 Sponsor Opportunities Flipbook | | |
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Did you know the Chamber has a variety of sponsorship opportunities throughout the year including events, programming and more?
Check out the 2023 Sponsorship Opportunities Guide here.
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🏳️🌈 Applications for the 2023 StartOut Demo Day are now open! The LGBTQ+ pitch event of the year, StartOut Demo Day will highlight LGBTQ-led, scalable startups to investors. A judging panel will be made up of angels, VCs, entrepreneurs and corporate partners, with a public audience to cheer you on and network with after.
Top prizes include $5k for first place, $3k for second place, and $2k for third place winner.
To apply, please fill out – or update – your founder application on the StartOut community portal by 4/9 here.
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Did you know the members can post open job positions to the Chamber Jobs Board? Learn how by watching the overview video. | | |
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Work at Sesh Coworking for a day! Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce members are welcome to visit Sesh once a month complimentary (Monday – Friday from 8 am – 5 pm). The complimentary day pass includes access to super fast wifi, bottomless coffee & tea, phone booths and ability to reserve private meeting spaces for a small fee.
Walk-ins welcome – please let the receptionist at the front desk know that you’re using the complimentary day pass as a Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce member.
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Advertise in the next issue of Business Intersections | | |
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Talk about a win-win! Advertising in the Chamber magazine is a great way to bring visibility for your business and support the Chamber! 🙌
Members can take advantage of advertising space (with member-only rates) in each edition of the magazine.
The quarterly magazine is promoted on the Chamber's website, through social media, newsletters and more. Business Intersections creates 45,000 impressions for each edition of the magazine. Plus, it is regularly promoted via email signature lines for the Chamber Team!
Reserve your ad in the Summer 2023 Pride Month Edition now!
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All In For Equality Advocacy Day – The Chamber was a contributing partner for the All In For Equality Advocacy Day on March 20 hosted by Equality Texas and other organizations. | |
Houston Dynamo & Houston Dash Season Kick-Off Lunch – We had a wonderful time at the Dynamo & Dash Season Kick-Off Lunch where the teams highlighted the stadium updates and new food offerings. Let’s go Dynamo & Dash! Make your plans to attend some games this season and check out the newly names Shell Energy Stadium. | |
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Women’s Roundtable with U.S Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai & Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher – Chamber Co-Founder, President & CEO, Tammi Wallace, participated in a roundtable with other women leaders in Houston. The roundtable was hosted by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher with Special Guest, U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai. | |
Event with Consulate General of Mexico in Houston – Chamber Member Katine Nechman McLaurin LLP was recognized by Consul General Alicia Kerber Palma for their work with the Consulate to assist Mexican nationals in need with legal issues and providing forums at the Consulate on legal topics of interest to the community. The Consulate DeTI Program, which works to improve the lives of and end discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people, particularly from the Mexican community, is making a difference in Houston. The Consulate and Katine Nechman McLaurin LLP connected through the Chamber! Thank you to Stephen Miranda for attending and representing the Chamber. | | |
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LGBTQ+ Affiliate Chamber Education Summit – Chamber Leaders attended the Affiliate Chamber Education Summit in Albuquerque hosted by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and New Mexico OUT Business Alliance. LGBTQ+ Chambers from across the country were represented. | |
LGBTQ Victory Fund Brunch – Thank you to Chamber Member, Bob Glazier, for underwriting a table for the Chamber at the LGBTQ Victory Fund Brunch. The LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. | |
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2023 Walk to End HIV – The Chamber participated in the 2023 Walk to End HIV with Chamber Member, AIDS Foundation Houston. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Chamber table to say hello and to our volunteers who joined us! | | |
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Space City Pride Networking Breakfast - The Chamber sponsored this event at Chamber Member Sesh Coworking. The event was a wonderful opportunity to network with Houston's tech community and featured a Special Guest Appearance by 11 baby goats! | |
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New Corporate Partner
Welcome to new Bronze Level Corporate Partner Corebridge Financial. We appreciate your support of the Chamber!
| Formerly AIG Life & Retirement, Corebridge Financial is one of the largest and most established providers of retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States, with a long and proven track record of serving our clients. At Corebridge, we’re passionate about giving people the power to help them reach their financial goals. We deliver an expansive portfolio of products to serve your unique needs. And we proudly partner with financial professionals and institutions to make it possible for more people to take action in their financial lives for today and tomorrow. At Corebridge, we believe no one achieves a financially secure future by accident—great things happen when people take action. Learn more at https://www.corebridgefinancial.com/. | | |
Check out the Photos from Recent Chamber Events | |
Check out recent photos from some of the latest events! | |
March 16, 2023 - 3rd Thursday Breakfast - Community & ConnXions at Harold's Restaurant, Bar & Terrace | |
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March 19, 2023 - Houston Rockets Pride Night | |
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Professional Membership! Join Today! | |
Did you know the Chamber has a professional membership level? Don't have a business but want to be part of all the great work (and fun) with the Chamber? Join as a professional member today!
Learn more here and join today!
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Register for Upcoming Events! | |
There are plenty of ways to engage with the Chamber coming up and great opportunities to make some connections and even have fun! Register for these upcoming events TODAY! | |
The Chamber events calendar is regularly updated so check back often and keep an eye out for event announcements. | | |
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Show your support for the LGBTQ+ community! The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce offers numerous sponsorship and marketing opportunities throughout the year. This Sponsorship Guide outlines the various opportunities to increase your brand visibility with Chamber members and the LGBTQ+ community.
Click here to learn more and become a sponsor. Use this form to inquire about 2023 Sponsorship Opportunities!
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Chamber Member, Community Impact Newspaper, was recently highlighted in Texas Monthly Magazine. The article includes behind-the-scenes information about the founders, business model, commitment to local journalism and their future plans. Read the article here. | | |
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Congratulations to Chamber Member, epi[x], on their acceptance to the Halcyon Fellowship. The company is one of ten startups globally selected for this prestigious fellowship that supports social impact startups tackling the most complex 21st century challenges. Halcyon only chooses ventures with strong potential for financial growth and the ability to drive equitable and inclusive impact.
epi[x] is a UK-based start-up. Did you know that epi[x], participated in the UK LGBTQ+ Leaders Trade Mission in 2022 hosted with Chamber International Partner, British Consulate Houston? Oliver Geffen, Co-Founder, shared that being welcomed into the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber has been instrumental in getting the company into Halcyon and in opening doors across the United States. Learn more about the company at http://www.epi-x.co/.
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We are celebrating Bryce Kinnard, External Affairs Manager, with Chamber Corporate Partner, Comcast! He was recently installed as a new Director for The Texas Lyceum. |
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Congratulations to Chamber Member Montrose Eye Care on celebrating their six-year anniversary this month!
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Do you have good news to share about your member business of an individual member milestone? From time to time, the Chamber highlights significant accomplishments, big milestones and other good news about our Members and Corporate Partners. Please submit your news here. | |
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Renewing Corporate Partners
Thank you to our Corporate Partners who have renewed their investment. We appreciate your continued support of the Chamber!
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Thank you to the following members for their continued support of the Chamber! | | |
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METRO operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, and paratransit services (under the name METROLift) in the city as well as most of Harris County. METRO also operates bus service to two cities in Fort Bend County. METRO’s mission is to provide safe, clean, reliable and friendly public transportation services to our region. | |
We are thrilled to welcome our newest members to the Chamber! | | |
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The Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity launched in 2021. Our mission is to eliminate disparities and disinvestments by creating innovative, equitable opportunities for Harris County’s diverse community of business and individuals, leading to inclusive, accessible, and shared prosperity for all. | |
The Chamber is growing! It’s a great time to be part of our growing and thriving Chamber community. Join today! | |
Congratulations to Our Newest LGBTBE® Certified Member!
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Is your business 51% or more LGBT owned? Then check out the LGBTBE® Certification! Access the Chamber’s LGBTBE® Certification Resource Page here to learn more about the how your business can become LGBTBE® Certified. | |
Channel Highlight - YouTube | Check out the Chamber’s YouTube page for past events, resources and more. | Also, check out the Facebook and LinkedIn Member Groups where member can post information about their organizations. Are you a new Chamber Member? Post up an intro video and let us know about you and your member organization! | | |
It's a GREAT time to be part of the Chamber! | |
Make sure your business is included in the online Chamber Directory where the community finds LGBTQ+ supportive businesses. Show your support and get more visibility for your business in the LGBTQ+ community!
Don’t own a business? Join and take advantage of great networking through the Professionals Membership!
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Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas | |
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Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce www.houstonlgbtchamber.com
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